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July 1, 2013

Happy Canada Day, eh!

From sea to shinning sea, Canada is waking up today and being greeted with festive birthday greetings, as our beautiful nation turns a 146 years young. Of course Canada has had European settlers here for hundreds of years further back in time than that, and the First Nations Peoples have inhabited nearly ever corner of the country for millennia, but it wasn't until 1867 that three colonies joined together to collectively begin forming the nation of Canada (a point that I chatted about in this post from two years ago).
The rest, as they say, is history. In the decades since then, the country has grown rapidly, spanning from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the American border to the Arctic Circle in the far, frozen north. Though we're the second largest country on earth in terms of land mass (surpassed on only by Russia), our population is relatively small for such a vast expanse of land (we're inching quite close to 35,000,000 people these days), due in no small part to the fact that so much of this majestic nation is not very suitable for human habitation (Rockie Mountains, aforementioned Arctic circle, etc).

Canada's relative youngness also plays a role when it comes to its population. Though parts of the East Coast began to be settled as early as the late 15th century (with more substantial and long-term settlement taking place from the 1600s onwards), the mid and western regions of this land remained largely untouched by Europeans until the 1800s, when - thanks in no small part to the ever-expanding railroads that were rapidly springing up - a massive surge of folks began heading west, settling across the prairie soil, Rocky Mountain trails, and verdant Pacific coast as they did, to create grand cities (Winnipeg, Calgary, Victorian, Vancouver, etc) and countless small towns and communities alike along the way.

Today Canada is a bustling hub of human civilization, culture, commerce, and history, and it's sometimes hard to believe that, for all intents, we're such a young nation. Much like myself, I think that at times I feel as though, youthful as it may be, Canada has something of an old soul.

In the prairies, the tall fields of grain whisper tales of the hard working pioneers; in the Yukon one still encounters those hell-bent on extracting gold from the soil. Montreal and Quebec city sparkle with the charm of a grand European city unlike anywhere else in this country (though Victoria has a certain marvelous British quality to it that cannot go unmentioned), and Toronto and Vancouver are massive melting pots of immigrants from around the globe, all of whom have come to Canada in recent decades, fuelled on by the freedom, tolerance, opportunities, and safety that this nation offers each of its citizens.

No matter where you go today in this magnificent, humble, constantly evolving country, I can promise you that a spirit of cheer – low key as it may be at times, in true understated Canadian fashion - and happiness will greet you. Beckoning you to pull up a lawn chair, have a doughnut (and a beer!), and sit back as we watch the evening's kaleidoscopic display of fireworks.

Thank you very much, dear Anthea! I think that you would adore Canada. It is indeed rich is beautiful natural scenery and relatively uncrowded in many parts (with some being extremely open and uncrowded). Our cities are often - in true city fashion - quite busy, congested, and well populated, but one of the amazing things about Canada is that you rarely have to travel far (perhaps an hour or two at most in the majority of areas) to quickly leave the hustle and bustle behind and connect with the serenity of nature once more.

You have every right to be so proud of your dear Canada. It is so beautiful and so are thepeople !! 35 million people? sounds like work hour rush on the freeway in LA !! Just kidding, enjoy your day !!Sierra Sue

Australia is similar to Canada in the fact that it is a young country. The First Fleet arrived here on 26th January 1788 and we celebrate that day every year. I am a proud Aboriginal Elder and we often refer to this day as Invasion Day and not Australia Day.

I'm very sorry that Australia Day isn't able to be a positive event for you and your people, my dear friend. I make no bones about the fact that the early European settlers were often anything but kind to the First Nations People of Canada, too, and wish that both of our countries had far less brutal histories in this regard.

Canada Day doesn't mark the beginning of (European) settlement here, instead it's about when the first provinces came together to form (the start of) a cohesive nation and the birth of a country that celebrated and included all those from coast to coast (though, of course, sadly, it would take many decades longer after that point before Canada - and its people - became the wonderful melting pot of diverse cultures that it is today).

Happy Canada Day to you and yours! I was so interested to read about your country. It sounds amazing! There was a Canadian couple in the village I grew up in who were always so lovely to my brother and myself as children. So from them I got the impression that all Canadians are kind and friendly!

Happy Canada Day!!! I have always heard such great things about Canada and it sounds like a truly wonderful place to live. I hope I can visit some day, I am always in awe of the beautiful landscapes in your photos and would love to see them for myself :)

Thank you very much, honey! Our Canada Day (and whole long weekend) was awesome! Super roasty-toasty, but tons of fun and just what we needed after Wednesday's basement flood and the ensuing cleanup/repairs related to it that will consume part of the summer now.

Happy Canada Day! I have long held a desire to visit Canada...I think it started with girlhood readings (and watching) of Anne of Green Gables and other L.M Montgomery books. It was later fed by numerous vacation and wildlife shows beautiful pictures. Hopefully one day Prince Charming and I will make the trip. xx Shauna

Happy Canada Day mama! I have been to Canada once (Toronto) but one day I hope to swing by your part of the woods bc I just think its so pretty! Its on our travel bucket list now...go to Washington and from there Canada heheh xox

Another post to swell my heart! (Maybe I'm feeling a bit sentimental this morning for some reason! haha!) We had a great Canada Day (as you probably already know via my new addiction: Instagram). At the beach all day soaking up the sun with friends (and it was HOT!!), home for dinner then off downtown to walk around, people watch then head to Donald Street Bridge (a central bridge in the heart of Winnipeg) to watch the fireworks being set off at The Forks.

We had a stellar time! When the fireworks had finished a large group of people burst into song and sung our national anthem - it was a bit magical! :)

That's awesome!!! Our Canada Day rocked, too - the whole weekend did actually, and was such a much needed burst of fun after last Wednesday's whole basement flooding ordeal. The heat tends to drain me something fierce (in that respect, winter is typically easier on my health), so try as I may I couldn't keep going long enough to stay up for the fireworks (at 10:30pm) here, but the rest of the day was just as fun as they would have been, so I don't feel like I missed out at all - and there's always next year (perhaps with an afternoon nap to help me make it through the whole day :) ).

Thank you very much, sweet Kate - we really did! It was majorly warm that day (about 38C - and then the next day hit 40C), and the heat really does a number on me (despite the fact that I love it in principle, it's tough on my health), so sunny, and fun - everyone was in a great mood and we had a terrific celebrate (even though I was too knackered to stay up for our town's 10:30pm fireworks later in the evening).

I hope that July is off to a wonderful start for you as well!♥ Jessica

I'm Jessica, a lifelong lover of all things antique and vintage, especially those from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

This blog is my visual scrapbook in which I record and share my thoughts on the multitude of sources, people and products that inspire and feed a modern gal's addiction to the past. I also post about the vintage clothes, hairstyles and make-up looks that I adore wearing.

Stay a spell and have a blast as we explore the incomparably fantastic world of vintage history and fashion together.

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